Conservatives maintain control of Suffolk County Council

Bury Free Press reporters

They won 39 seats out of the 75 available with gains by UKIP and Labour following yesterday’s elections.

The Greens netted two seats, Independents three, Labour have 12, Labour and Co-operatives three, the Liberal Democrats have seven and UKIP have nine.

The county-wide turnout was 30.99 per cent of the 565,906 residents registered to vote.

In 2009 the Conservatives secured 55 seats, the Liberal Democrats 11, Labour held four, the Greens had two with two Independents and one UKIP councillor.

Among the newly elected councillors was Sarah Stamp, who took the Hardwick division.

She said: “I feel absolutely delighted. I’m very relieved as it was very close.”

On the surge in support for UKIP, Cllr Stamp added: “I was surprised by how many UKIP voters we had. On the doorsteps we found that there was a core level of Conservative voters who didn’t turn out to vote because they’re unhappy with national issues.”

Conservative Cllr Colin Noble held his seat in Row Heath.

He admitted that it was a ‘good day for UKIP’ but described their increase in popularity as a ‘protest vote’.

Cllr Noble said: “When you have protest votes they come and they go. UKIP will claim it’s the start of something but I say it’s a mid term protest vote.”

Cllr Joanna Spicer, who held the Blackbourn division, said: “We’re very pleased the Conservatives have an overall majority - that’s an endorsement of the last eight years and particularly the last four difficult years.”

On the UKIP gains, she said: “It’s certainly extraordinary. Right across the country it would seem to be not just a protest vote against the Conservatives on European issues but also a growing number of people who don’t seem to recognise the traditional three main parties and are looking for something that’s different.”

UKIP’s Stephen Searle, who took Stowmarket South, said: “People are getting fed up of the normal three parties - we are an alternative.”

Green Cllr Mark Ereira-Guyer, who retained his seat in the Tower division, said ‘progressive politics had got a bit of a kicking’.

He added: “It’s a right wing moment. I’m going to continue to fight for progressive politics in West Suffolk.”